04 January 1969 - Fourth Day of People's Democracy March from Belfast to Derry
The fourth and final day of the People's Democracy march took it from Claudy to Derry City.
At the junction joining the main Dungiven to Derry road, the police halted the marchers
and told them that opponents of the march had gathered further ahead and
that they might throw stones. Michael Farrell addressed his fellow-marchers and informed them
of this possibility, adding that the police were prepared to get them through.
However, once they reached Burntollet Bridge, the marchers found themselves under attack in a preplanned ambush by a crowd of loyalists, who used rocks, sticks, bottles and iron bars. Among the attackers were off-duty members of the B-Specials, who formed part of the RUC. Some of the marchers ended up in a nearby river where
the onslaught continued. When the uninjured marchers eventually regrouped,
they moved on to Derry City where they were attacked again. Thousands were in Guildhall Square
to meet the marchers when they finally arrived in the city-centre.
After the meeting, the crowd dispersed quietly, but within a matter of hours there was
further sectarian violence, to which the police responded by using water cannons. That night, the RUC entered the
Bogside area of the city, breaking windows in houses in the St Columb's Well area. The Derry
Citizens' Action Committee (DCAC) called on citizens to defend their property. |
Look & Listen...
